Various Artists - Pōpoloheno - Songs of Resilience & Joy (2025)

Pōpopoloheno - Songs of Resilience & Joy is a 10-track album that celebrates the often-overlooked contributions of African descended individuals in post-contact Hawaiian history. Curated by Māhealani Uchiyama, Hawaii’s first Kumu Hula of African descent, the album features original compositions, including traditional Hawaiian mele inoa (name songs) that honor figures like President Barack Obama, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and lesser-known pioneers such as Alice Ball, who developed the first effective treatment for leprosy. The project reclaims the term “pōpolo,” a dark-colored berry native to Polynesia historically associated with people of African descent, transforming it from a pejorative into a symbol of identity, resilience, and pride. The album blends Hawaiian musical traditions with African diasporic history, featuring contributions from award-winning artists like four-time Grammy winner Kalani Pe’a, Nā Hōkū Hanohano Award winners Kamakakēhau Fernandez and Patrick Landeza, Ikaika Blackburn, jazz vocalist Azure McCall, and Kawika Alfiche, alongside Māhealani Uchiyama and her Hālau Ka Ua Tuahine. Supported by grants from the Gerbode Foundation and the Kenneth Rainin Foundation, the album aims to preserve and share these vital histories through music.



Tracklist:
1-1 Kalani Pe'a - Kamakakēhau [3:15]
1-2 Kawika Alfiche - Ka Pua Mohala [3:09]
1-3 Mahealani Uchiyama - A Lei For Reverend King [4:04]
1-4 Ikaika Blackburn - Pua Laulele [5:35]
1-5 Mahealani Uchiyama - Wahine Hōʻola [3:41]
1-6 Kaulike Pescaia - Kumuniu Cumbia [4:06]
1-7 Kamakakehau Fernandez - He Mele Awaiaulu Nō Hawaiʻi Haʻaheo [3:15]
1-8 Patrick Landeza - Ka Momi Hiwahiwa [2:46]
1-9 Kawika Alfiche - Māhealani [4:00]
1-10 Azure McCall - I Am Where I Belong [7:52]